Better Regulation Executive

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• Retail Enforcement Pilot
• Implementing Hampton – latest developments
• Rogers Review
• Compliance Code

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• Hampton Review
• Delivering Better Regulation - Chancellor of the Exchequer's comments at CBI Conference 28 November 2006

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Implementing Hampton: from enforcement to compliance

This page gives the background to the Hampton recommendations and sets out the package of measures that will bring about their implementation.

Background

In March 2005, Philip Hampton reported on the scope for promoting more efficient approaches to regulatory inspection and enforcement while continuing to deliver excellent regulatory outcomes. He argued for the creation of a regulatory system, at both a national and local level, in which risk assessment was the basis for all regulators' enforcement programmes, and which was designed to balance the provision of public protection with support for economic development.

What it will deliver – full implementation of the Hampton principles will result in more proportionate and risk–based compliance and enforcement activity, meaning fewer forms, no inspection without a reason, better advice for businesses, and swift treatment of non–compliance with meaningful sanctions.

• Hampton report [External website]

In November 2006, the Chancellor published an update report ‘Implementing Hampton: from enforcement to compliance’ detailing progress made on the Hampton recommendations. The update report also sets out a range of measures that the Cabinet Office will take responsibility for delivering, to help embed Hampton behaviours in local authority regulatory services, including trading standards, environmental health and licensing.

Implementing Hampton at a local level: summary

To help Local Authorities with the implementation of a consistent risk–based approach at the local level, the Government:

• has brought forward the timetable for establishing the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) from 2009 to 2007.
• will give LBRO powers to issue statutory guidance, for example to ensure that adoption of the risk–based approach reduces inspections and information requirements;
• will give LBRO powers to tackle inconsistencies in enforcement between different local authorities;
• will legislate to place the principle of home and lead authority on a statutory footing for multi–site businesses so that firms operating in more than one local authority will face a consistent and risk–based approach across their business;
• in keeping with the new performance framework announced in the Local Government White Paper, develop with business a new measure that assures compliance with Hampton;
• extend the Retail Enforcement Initiative pilot to reduce inspections and the burden of form filling in local authorities to 70 new local authorities.
• asked Peter Rogers, Chief Executive of Westminster City Council, to review more than 60 key policy areas that local authorities' regulatory services currently enforce;
• will speed up progress at the national level: the National Audit Office will work with regulators and the Better Regulation Executive (BRE) to develop a process for assessing regulatory performance against the Hampton principles.

What it will deliver – more transparency around the extent of Hampton compliance among regulators, greater co–ordination between regulatory services and greater consistency in the delivery of regulation, a broader range of enforcement powers for regulators, a smaller number of national priorities for local delivery, and the testing of new ways of partnership working.

Full text of report Implementing Hampton: from enforcement to compliance [HM Treasury website]